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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
Be doused by sb
Hello,
In the book "Parrot and Olivier in America" by Peter Carey, I came across the verb "douse" in passive form and I am not sure what it means.
The context is as follows: Mathilde, a painter, burned down her house to get money from an insurance company. Her lover Parrot disapproves of such act. He is very angry at her.
"‘Would you rather have the lords and nobles back? What is democracy for? Not so we can rob each other. Or cheat.’ I said cheat and felt the teeth in it, the cleat, the cut, the eat. I thought my lover cheated me, my wife. ‘You are no better than Lord Pintle d’Pantedly [Olivier de Garmont, a noble whom Parrot is serving]. He thinks the common man is stupid. He thinks there can be no art in a democracy.’
But Mathilde would not be doused by me. She flung her arm around the room. ‘This is art,’ she cried. ‘We made this.’"
Could you, please, explain to me the verb "douse".
Thank you very much for your reply.
In the book "Parrot and Olivier in America" by Peter Carey, I came across the verb "douse" in passive form and I am not sure what it means.
The context is as follows: Mathilde, a painter, burned down her house to get money from an insurance company. Her lover Parrot disapproves of such act. He is very angry at her.
"‘Would you rather have the lords and nobles back? What is democracy for? Not so we can rob each other. Or cheat.’ I said cheat and felt the teeth in it, the cleat, the cut, the eat. I thought my lover cheated me, my wife. ‘You are no better than Lord Pintle d’Pantedly [Olivier de Garmont, a noble whom Parrot is serving]. He thinks the common man is stupid. He thinks there can be no art in a democracy.’
But Mathilde would not be doused by me. She flung her arm around the room. ‘This is art,’ she cried. ‘We made this.’"
Could you, please, explain to me the verb "douse".
Thank you very much for your reply.
Top answer
douse [dous] Show IPA verb, doused, dous·ing, noun -verb (used with object) 1. to plunge into water or the like; drench: She doused the clothes in soapy water. 2.
- douse [dous] Show IPA verb, doused, dous·ing, noun -verb (used with object) 1.
- to plunge into water or the like; drench: She doused the clothes in soapy water.
- 2.
- to splash or throw water or other liquid on: The children doused each other with the hose.
- 3.
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1 Answers
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douse
[dous] Show IPA verb, doused, dous·ing, noun
-verb (used with object)
1.
to plunge into water or the like; drench: She doused the clothes in soapy water.
2.
to splash or throw water or other liquid on: The children doused each other with the hose.
3.
to extinguish: She quickly doused the candle's flame with her fingertips.
4.
Informal . to remove;
[dous] Show IPA verb, doused, dous·ing, noun
-verb (used with object)
1.
to plunge into water or the like; drench: She doused the clothes in soapy water.
2.
to splash or throw water or other liquid on: The children doused each other with the hose.
3.
to extinguish: She quickly doused the candle's flame with her fingertips.
4.
Informal . to remove;
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